Nicole’s Story – A Script On Domestic Violence

It’s not often I post my newspaper articles unless I think they need to be shared with a wider audience. Nicole’s story is one of those:

Nicole Hernane would be the first — among many — to tell you she has no idea why she is alive. “I guess God isn’t done with me yet,” she said in an interview.

After nearly 10 days in the hospital, she is trying to recover from a savage beating inflicted on her from her live-in boyfriend, who used two baseball bats on her.

Nicole’s story, which she agreed to share to help other women, is the classic script for those involved in a domestic abuse situation. Experts in the field, knowing only the outcome, could have written her story.

•••

On the evening of Feb. 4, 32-year-old Nicole was sitting on her bed watching television at her house in the East Newnan community. Her boyfriend, David Bennett and 16 years her senior, was at a friend’s house getting a seatbelt on their car fixed.

And that’s about all she remembers.

Nicole – two weeks after her boyfriend attacked her with a baseball bat

Investigators with the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office believe Bennett came back sometime around 9 p.m. The beating apparently began in the bedroom. More than two weeks after the attack, Nicole went back home to pick up some things. She said her headboard was shattered — “I think that’s where it started.”

Nicole said she “had a faint memory of running outside, just trying to get away and yelling for help.”

Investigators found a bloodied bat in a neighbor’s yard, thrown in the bushes. A pool of Nicole’s blood was on the driveway. Authorities say Bennett apparently dragged her back in the house and beat her some more. Another bloodied bat was found under a coffee table.

It’s unclear where Bennett went after the attack. What is known is around 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 5, he used Nicole’s cell phone and called a neighbor, Dondra Davis.

“He said you all need to get over here and check on your d— friend and you’d better do it right d— now,” Davis recalled. Her husband, Billy Ray, and 15-year-old grandson, Dylan Caldwell, rushed over to the house.

“I was traumatized about what I saw,” Caldwell remembered. “Her face was smashed in on both sides. Her whole face was black. I don’t see how anyone like that could be alive.”

Bennett made several calls while driving toward Atlanta that day. Dondra Davis said he called her several times, threatening to “get (them) next.”

“Dabo (Bennett’s nickname) called my sister and threatened to shoot her in the face,” Nicole said after she spoke to her sister days later. “He told her he hurt me real bad and left me in the house for dead.”

Authorities were able to track down Bennett by pinpointing his cell phone. He was captured in an Atlanta neighborhood later Feb. 5. He remains in the Coweta County Jail on charges of aggravated stalking, possession of narcotics and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. Investigators are looking at other charges, including terroristic threats and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

“No one thought I would make it,” Nicole said. “He bashed my face and head in so bad.”

•••

Nicole and Bennett were together about eight years. This was not the first time the relationship had turned abusive, but never to this degree.

“He always said if he couldn’t have me, then no one could,” she added.

Once, Nicole had enough. Bennett was choking her and she grabbed a mirror and threw it at his feet. It shattered and Bennett had to get stitches.

“I just wanted him to know you can’t keep beating on me,” she said about the mirror incident. “I’m going to fight back.”

Their last big fight was over a year ago.

But a couple of months ago, Bennett accused Nicole of stealing $12,000 from him.

“That went on for more than a month,” Nicole said. “Sometimes I’d go to friends to stay when it got bad, but I didn’t want to keep involving them… so I’d go back.

“I had no idea where his money was,” she added. “He’d lost money before. He’d hide it and forget where he hid it and we’d tear down the house looking for it.”

Nicole said Bennett’s temper would get worse after drinking or doing drugs. He began verbally threatening her more and more.

“I still have no idea where his money is,” Nicole said. “I got beat for nothing… he ruined my life.”

•••

Nicole’s upper body is kept together with countless staples, metal plates and plastic.

Both her arms were broken. There’s an eight-inch gash held together with staples running from her elbow up to her shoulder. Her right wrist was shattered. Nicole said there aren’t any bones left in it.

The same holds true for her right elbow. It’s gone. Doctors put in metal plates and rods to replace the bones. There are more staples running up her left arm.

Her nose was crushed in, as was her right eye. She’s already visited a specialist, who’s prepared her for the fact they probably will have to remove that eye.

Two of her fingers were broken. She has two large gashes — also held together with staples — on her forehead.

But the most disturbing thing one notices is a row of staples. They start at one ear and go straight up, tracing her hairline. The staples end at the other ear. Nicole said doctors literally had to pull her face back to remove all the skull fragments that lodged into her brain.

“Never in a million years did I ever think he would do this,” she said.

“He had two guns. I don’t know why he used those bats. Why didn’t he just shoot me?”

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8 Comments

Oh My God Nicole – this is just awful. I am studying Domestic Violence at present and am horrified with stories such as yours.

I wonder if Doctors were able to save your eye ….

Don’t ever think anything was your fault – it simply is not – just get on and live your life and be the best you can. All the better if you can help others and prevent them being victims of Domestic Violence.

Just reverse it now and know that there are battered men as well. Women can claim they are the weaker sex but I look at my sad son who adores his girlfriend. She makes him feel unworthy , belittles him and is three times his size yesterday she pushed him down the stairs pulled a knife on him and this is daily now he blames himself and keeps on giving everything. Please. Pray for Michael the law no matter what! Protects the woman always

I endured physical and (worse) mental abuse, from the day we wed…
I have wrote in book-form my experiences, then put the script away… I’d intended to make ‘use’ of that script, until a male said to me:… “Who wants to read about you!”… A minute comment, yet BIG enough to make me crawl back into my unconfident
depths once again, proving that, although we now Smile.. Laugh.. Sing.. yet just below the surface, still, out insecurities lie, not yet dormant !
I am ‘One of the Lucky Ones’… I escaped that Abyss of Control… Though I left my Trust behind and to this day, 30yrs later, I am still solo in this harsh world…

I am the youngest sister of Nicole Hernane! I just want to say that if it wasn’t for my big sister and this situation I think I would’ve still been in my latest situation with my Ex-boyfriend. it was physically & mentally abusive, and I didn’t realize this until I seen my sister go thru what she did. I think anyone in a situation with someone they love always thinks that their abuser will change. but honestly they don’t and 9 times out of 10 it only gets worse! I learned that Love doesn’t hurt and if your in a relationship with a individual that tells you they love you but can hurt you at the same time doesn’t know what love is and their idea of what love is, is far fetched and don’t know what love is. never live for someone else live for yourself. I hope that anyone in a abusive situation can see the signs early and get out before it’s to late. I am so thankful that my sister is alive after what happened. and I’m also thankful that God gave her the strength to get passed this horrible situation.